`A BRAND-NEW HOUSE'
Some thoughtful renovations can make a big difference in the enjoyment of your castle
It was time for a refresh.
With two young kids and a dog, Amber Deng's Mcgrath home in southwest Edmonton was beginning to show signs of wear and tear, but of the loving variety.
The hardwood floors were scratched — 11-year-old Mika, a Boston terrier, had a hand (actually a paw or two) in that — and the rugs were hideous, said Deng. “We didn't want to have people over,” she said.
“For us, renovating the house was something we always wanted to do,” said Deng, adding the time had come especially with the family constantly being in the house due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It got to the point where I told my husband, `That's it. We need to do these renovations. I just can't handle it anymore. I'm so over our house.'”
But Deng, a visual person who likes to see and touch products, faced a dilemma. She would usually go to home shows like the Edmonton Home + Garden Show to see samples and examples of a company's work.
“You can touch it, feel it and see it — that's the kind of shopper I am,” said Deng, noting renovations are not cheap.
“So you want to make sure you're spending your money on something you're really going to like and see value in — so I'm a huge fan of the home shows. We usually go to them each year.”
That was not an option this time. Both the 2020 Home + Garden Show and Fall Home Show were cancelled due to the pandemic. “COVID and all the lockdown stuff kind of left us with a gap,” said Deng. “I absolutely say it kind of sucks because we were finally ready to take the plunge and were ready to spend the money in upgrading our house.”
Their solution was to head to the computer and they landed at Renovationfind, which they had become familiar with from its participation in local home shows. “It was a name that I recognized,” said Deng, emphasizing companies are proud to point out they're Renovationfind certified.
She was able to request quotes from companies listed on the Renovationfind website and was impressed with the responses — three got back to her within 48 hours. She was also impressed with the quality of the responses and the time and effort from the companies in question.
“All three companies adapted during COVID, but they were still able to make me want to sign up with all three of them,” said Deng.
Calling it a hard decision, Deng chose one and had the house's flooring redone, going for luxury vinyl plank; it would stand up to the wear and tear their flooring would face.
And as the family's style had changed since they built the house some 12 years ago, new baseboards were installed and casings around the windows were changed. The house was also repainted — with Deng doing the majority of the painting herself, using Renovationfind once more to get a discount on the paint she needed, which in turn enabled her to go with a higher-end option.
“It now feels like a brand new house,” said Deng. “It doesn't feel so grunge anymore. I absolutely love it.”
WHERE TO TURN
Launched in 2014, Edmonton-based Renovationfind (www. renovationfind.com) vets contractors and connects them with homeowners. It's one starting point for homeowners who can — for now — no longer go to the home shows.
“It was amazing,” said Renovationfind CEO Keith Riley about the company's launch. “It was the smallest booth you could get and there was a guy selling sheds right across from us and he loved us because we would stop people in the aisle. It was so packed and people were coming in to see what we were doing.”
Since then, Renovationfind has grown significantly and is currently in the midst of a fundraising campaign seeking to scale up the business for further growth. It's seeking to raise $750,000 via Frontfundr and has reached about 65 per cent of its objective so far. More details can be found at www.frontfundr. com/renovationfind.
Another option for homeowners who would have used the home shows to source renovation information is Renomark, which recognizes members of the Canadian Home Builders' Association who abide by the Renomark code of conduct.
“Even during these challenging times, Renomark members continue to safely support homeowners by helping them make informed decisions about their home renovation project,” said Marie Soprovich, president, CHBA-EDMONton Region. “The www.renomark. ca website holds a repository of all designated Renomark renovators across the country, easily accessible from the comfort of home.”